Amir Seyedmousavi, PhD, F(ECMM)

VMD, University of Tehran, Iran
PhD, Radboud University Medical Center, The Netherlands

Dr. Seyedmousavi works as a Consultant Microbiologist for Infectious Disease Diagnostic Testing Service (Specimen Processing, Bacteriology, Mycobacteriology, Mycology, Parasitology, Virology, and Molecular Diagnostic Testing) and also to the Infectious Disease Clinicians for Patient Care. He also serves as Director of Mycology and Parasitology Sections, and oversees the Bacteriology Diagnostic Laboratories.

Prior to joining DLM, Dr. Seyedmousavi completed a three-year advanced research fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. June Kwon-Chung at Molecular Microbiology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He was also previously appointed as an Assistant and Associate Professor of Medical Microbiology/Mycology in Iran.

Dr. Seyedmousavi obtained a VMD degree from University of Tehran, Iran, followed by a PhD (cum laude) in Medical Mycology. He also received a second PhD in Medical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Resistance from Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and completed his Clinical Microbiology Postdoctoral Training and Research under supervision of Prof. Paul Verweij, Prof. Johan Mouton, and Dr. Willem Melchers. He also conducted postdoctoral research on molecular taxonomy and fungal phylogenetics in the laboratory of Prof. Sybren de Hoog at the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute-KNAW in The Netherlands.

Since 2014, Dr. Seyedmousavi serves as editor for ‘Medical Mycology’ the official journals of International Society for Human & Animal Mycology. He is also on the editorial board of IMA Fungus, Medical Mycology Case Reports, and Frontiers in Microbiology and serves as an International Science Ambassador for the American Society for Microbiology.

Dr. Seyedmousavi received an NIH Clinical Center CEO Award in 2019 in recognition of implementing Candida auris screening for Clinical Center patients. He is also the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Educational Trust Award from the Journal of Comparative Pathology, due to his significant scientific contributions to the field of Medical Mycology and One Health antimicrobial resistance.

Major Areas of Research

Dr. Seyedmousavi integrates cutting-edge functional genomics, proteomics, microbiological, pre-clinical, and translational research approaches to study molecular diversity, epidemiology and infection biology of pathogenic opportunistic fungi isolated from hospitalized patients underlying primary and secondary immunodeficiencies. The fungal isolates are mainly isolated from patients enrolled in clinical trials, who come from various locations throughout the world. His laboratory also utilizes genome-wide and molecular biological approaches to understand the evolution and genetic basis of antifungal drug resistance in the context of human fungal infections. He is also interested in optimization of antimicrobial/antifungal therapies through application of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles. Another important area of focus within the laboratory is to study new diagnostic technologies such as targeted next-generation sequencing for direct identification of fungi in clinical specimens, and to develop point-of-care testing for detection of fungal infections.

He has published over 125 research papers and several book chapters, and has delivered over 60 invited lectures. He is co-editor of the textbook Emerging and Epizootic Fungal Infections.

Seyedmousavi S, Chang YC, Law D, Birch M, Rex JH, Kwon-Chung KJ. 2019. Efficacy of Olorofim (F901318) against Aspergillus fumigatus, A. nidulans, and A. tanneri in Murine Models of Profound Neutropenia and Chronic Granulomatous Disease. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2019 24;63(6). pii: e00129-19. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00129-19.

Seyedmousavi S, Davis MJ, Sugui JA, Pinkhasov T, Moyer S, Salazar AM, Chang YC, Kwon-Chung KJ. 2018. Exogenous Stimulation of Type I Interferon Protects Mice with Chronic Granulomatous Disease from Aspergillosis through Early Recruitment of Host-Protective Neutrophils into the Lung. MBio 27; 9 (2). doi: 10.1128/mBio.00422-18.

Seyedmousavi S, Lionakis MS, Parta M, Peterson SW, Kwon-Chung KJ. 2018. Emerging Aspergillus Species Almost Exclusively Associated With Primary Immunodeficiencies. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 5:ofy213-ofy213.

Troeger CE, Blacker BE, Khalil IA, Zimsen SRM, Albertson SB, …, SSeyedmousavi S, …, et al. 2018. Mortality, morbidity, and hospitalisations due to influenza lower respiratory tract infections, 2017: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet Respir Med. 2018. 2018 Dec 12. pii: S2213-2600(18)30496-X. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(18)30496-X.

Basu T, Seyedmousavi S, Sugui JA, Balenga N, Zhao M, Kwon Chung KJ, Biardel S, Laviolette M, Druey KM. 2018. Aspergillus fumigatus alkaline protease 1 (Alp1/Asp f13) in the airways correlates with asthma severity. J Allergy Clin Immunol 141:423-425 e7.

Taghizadeh-Armaki M, Hedayati MT, Ansari S, Omran SM, Saber S, Rafati H, Zoll J, van der Lee HA, Melchers WJG, Verweij PE, Seyedmousavi S. 2017. Genetic Diversity and In Vitro Antifungal Susceptibility of 200 Clinical and Environmental Aspergillus flavus Isolates. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 61.

Seyedmousavi S, Davis MJ. 2017. Defective calcineurin/NFAT signaling in myeloid cells and susceptibility to aspergillosis in post-transplant patients. Virulence 8:1498-1501.

Mohammadi F, Hashemi SJ, Zoll J, Melchers WJ, Rafati H, Dehghan P, Rezaie S, Tolooe A, Tamadon Y, van der Lee HA, Verweij PE, Seyedmousavi S. 2016. Quantitative Analysis of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism for Rapid Detection of TR34/L98H- and TR46/Y121F/T289A-Positive Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Obtained from Patients in Iran from 2010 to 2014. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 60:387-92.

Berkhout J, Melchers MJ, van Mil AC, Seyedmousavi S, Lagarde CM, Schuck VJ, Nichols WW, Mouton JW. 2016. Pharmacodynamics of Ceftazidime and Avibactam in Neutropenic Mice with Thigh or Lung Infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 60:368-75.

Verweij PE, Ananda-Rajah M, Andes D, Arendrup MC, Bruggemann RJ, Chowdhary A, Cornely OA, Denning DW, Groll AH, Izumikawa K, Kullberg BJ, Lagrou K, Maertens J, Meis JF, Newton P, Page I, Seyedmousavi S, Sheppard DC, Viscoli C, Warris A, Donnelly JP. 2015. International expert opinion on the management of infection caused by azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus. Drug Resist Updat 21-22:30-40.

Seyedmousavi S, Guillot J, Tolooe A, Verweij PE, de Hoog GS. 2015. Neglected fungal zoonoses: hidden threats to man and animals. Clin Microbiol Infect 21:416-25.

Seyedmousavi S, Guillot J, Arne P, de Hoog GS, Mouton JW, Melchers WJ, Verweij PE. 2015. Aspergillus and aspergilloses in wild and domestic animals: a global health concern with parallels to human disease. Med Mycol 53:765-97.

Seyedmousavi S, Bruggemann RJ, Meis JF, Melchers WJ, Verweij PE, Mouton JW. 2015. Pharmacodynamics of isavuconazole in an Aspergillus fumigatus mouse infection model. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 59:2855-66.

Berkhout J, Melchers MJ, van Mil AC, Seyedmousavi S, Lagarde CM, Nichols WW, Mouton JW. 2015. Pharmacokinetics and penetration of ceftazidime and avibactam into epithelial lining fluid in thigh- and lung-infected mice. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 59:2299-304.

Seyedmousavi S, Netea MG, Mouton JW, Melchers WJ, Verweij PE, de Hoog GS. 2014. Black yeasts and their filamentous relatives: principles of pathogenesis and host defense. Clin Microbiol Rev 27:527-42.

Seyedmousavi S, Mouton JW, Melchers WJ, Bruggemann RJ, Verweij PE. 2014. The role of azoles in the management of azole-resistant aspergillosis: from the bench to the bedside. Drug Resist Updat 17:37-50.

Seyedmousavi S, Mouton JW, Verweij PE, Andes DR. 2013. Continuous infusion of amphotericin B deoxycholate for the treatment of life-threatening Candida infections. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 188:1033.

Seyedmousavi S, Bruggemann RJ, Melchers WJ, Rijs AJ, Verweij PE, Mouton JW. 2013. Efficacy and pharmacodynamics of voriconazole combined with anidulafungin in azole-resistant invasive aspergillosis. J Antimicrob Chemother 68:385-93.

Seyedmousavi S, Melchers WJ, Verweij PE, Mouton JW. 2011. Assessment of efficacy of antifungals in experimental models of invasive aspergillosis in an era of emerging resistance: the value of real-time quantitative PCR. Curr Opin Pharmacol 11:486-93.